Join us for our Essay Lab
Posted on Fri, 11/04/2011 - 02:53
Don't forget to join us on Monday for the first in our series of posts on writing the college essay. First up, prompts to inspire you and get the words flowing -- and we've lined up those prompts from some best-selling authors, essayists, and writing teachers.
Twitter as Prep for the College Essay?
Posted on Thu, 11/03/2011 - 19:31It has character limits, discourages wordiness, and makes you aware of your audience -- all virtues in crafting a good college essay. Check out How Twitter Can Make You A Better Writer by Amanda Cosco at Social Times. If you're looking for inspiration, visit the Twitter feeds of your favorite writers and the colleges on your list -- but probably not Ashton Kutcher's. And don't miss our Essay Lab, beginning next Monday. First up, prompts to get the words flowing from some novelists, essay writers, and writing teachers!
A Degree From Abroad
Posted on Thu, 11/03/2011 - 19:21
More American students are choosing to study abroad -- not for simply a semester, but for all four years. Check out American Students Gaze Across the Atlantic and See College from Rebecca Ruiz at New York Times' The Choice blog.
Jim Conroy, New Trier Township High School
Posted on Wed, 11/02/2011 - 21:17
This month we welcome James Conroy, Chair of the Post-High School Counseling Department at New Trier Township High School in Winnetka, Illinois. A graduate of Michigan State University, where he received a B.S. in political science, Conroy also holds a Masters in Guidance and Counseling from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Born just outside Boston, Conroy later moved with his family to Grosse Pointe, Michigan, but a trace of the Bay State remains in his speech. Conroy and his staff counsel about 2,000 juniors and seniors each year at New Trier, where he has been a tireless -- and bracingly honest, we suspect -- advocate for college applicants for the last twenty-six years. See his interview in True Admissions! here.
James Conroy, New Trier Township High School, Winnetka, Illinois
Posted on Wed, 11/02/2011 - 21:14
Each month we feature a high school college counselor so you can get to know them -- their pet peeves and personal heroes -- but also so you can learn something from all that they know about applying to college.
This month we welcome James Conroy, Chair of the Post-High School Counseling Department at New Trier Township High School in Winnetka, Illinois. A graduate of Michigan State University, where he received a B.S. in political science, Conroy also holds a Masters in Guidance and Counseling from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Born just outside Boston, Conroy later moved with his family to Grosse Pointe, Michigan, but a trace of the Bay State remains in his speech. Conroy and his staff counsel about 2,000 juniors and seniors each year at New Trier, where he has been a tireless -- and bracingly honest, we suspect -- advocate for college applicants for the last twenty-six years.
Dean of Admission Lee Coffin, Tufts University
Posted on Tue, 11/01/2011 - 19:11
This month 5 Questions for the Dean is delighted to host Lee A. Coffin, Dean of Undergraduate Admissions at Tufts University inMedford, Massachusetts. Join Dean Coffin to hear more about Tufts' creative "optional" essays and the school's future direction. And did you know that the Tufts all-male a cappella group The Beelzebubs are the voice behind Glee's Warblers?!?
Lee A. Coffin, Tufts University
Posted on Tue, 11/01/2011 - 19:09
This month 5 Questions for the Dean is delighted to host Lee A. Coffin, Dean of Undergraduate Admissions at Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts. Join Dean Coffin to hear more about Tufts' creative "optional" essays and the school's future direction. And did you know that the Tufts all-male a cappella group The Beelzebubs are the voice behind Glee's Warblers?!?
1. Tufts is known for its “optional” essays on the application—for example, creating a video, or the direction to do something with a piece of paper. What is the value of giving applicants an alternate means of expressing themselves?
There are a couple of important questions bunched together in this one, so let me split up my answer.
More Opportunity for Students
Posted on Mon, 10/31/2011 - 20:40In More Students Migrate Away From Home, the Chronicle of Higher Education looks at the expansion of public universities' recruiting efforts across the country. In some cases that reflects budget problems at universities where declining state revenues have made bringing in higher tuition out-of-state students a larger priority. But in general this is good news for students as it opens up more universities -- and opportunities -- across the country to them.
Happy Halloween
Posted on Sun, 10/30/2011 - 20:57Trick? Or Treat? From the Washington Post's Jenna Johnson: Check out today's Radford University home page. And the behind-the-scenes time-lapse documentary that shows how the Radford students were "transformed" for this homage to Halloween.
New Rules for Division I Athletes
Posted on Fri, 10/28/2011 - 19:15This article from Inside Higher Ed has a great overview of the newest rules for NCAA Division I athletes, affecting scholarships (more money), eligibility (higher GPA's), and academic progress (new graduation benchmarks). Scroll down through the first third of the article to find the summary.